Cross
by Windswift
Summary: They can see your every move. Does it scare you? Well, it should. But perhaps the hidden demon is only so in one's own mind.
1. Plague of Youkai

Cross  
  
Um, strange and creepy. . . . You have been warned!  
  
Dark religious themes . . .  
  
Disclaimer: All I own is the up down across over line. And the ((+)~  
  
((+)~  
  
/They can see your every move/  
  
Up, down, across, over. Up, down, across, over.  
  
/Does it scare you?/  
  
'Up, down, across, over. Up, down, across, over.'  
  
/Well, it should/  
  
"Up, down, across, over. Up, down, across, over."  
  
/No one can save me now. . .  
  
/Please have mercy/  
  
Candles burned around him in the dimly lit room, smoking lightly, flames almost seeming to dance in candence with his barely moving lips.  
  
"Up, down, across, over. Up, down, across, over."  
  
As if following an unknown order, his hands pressed together in front of him, the tips of his fingers lightly brushing again his pale pink lips. The slender hands in front of him appeared to be his lifeline. His chanting changed.  
  
"Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison."  
  
/I have sinned, and you sent him. He offends you, and you reject me. But I know, through you I will send him back to Hell.  
  
/Have mercy. . . ./  
  
"Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison."  
  
Framed pictures were propped in a circle surrounding him as he knelt on the wooden floorboards. The paintings leaned against the furniture and reflected the candles' gleams from their glass.  
  
They depicted the clouds of heaven and the fires of hell, angels and demons, the salvation and torment of humans. The works were beautiful and vivid, but the longer you looked, the harder it was to distinguish anything of the figures.  
  
But he knew who they were.  
  
/He sends the demons to punish the wicked. . . . And angels will save those in peril . . .  
  
/But what have I become?/  
  
((+)~  
  
Softly, oh so softly, perfect in rhythm and gesture, he was.  
  
"Up, down, across, over. Up, down, across, over."  
  
Another entered the room, causing the boy on the floor to flinch, his whispered chanting becoming loud enough to hear.  
  
"Up, down, across, over. Up, down, across, over."  
  
The taller figure frowned. "Yadonushi."  
  
The kneeling boy spoke louder now, as if to drown out the other's existence.  
  
"Up, down, across, over. Up, down, across, over."  
  
Still frowning, he didn't move away, and instead tried again. "Yadonushi."  
  
The boy shook now, tears coming to his eyes and staining the pale porcelain cheeks, his voice gaining strength in desperation.  
  
"Up down across over up down across over."  
  
Frustrated, he resorted to something he'd never done before. He used the boy's name.  
  
"Damnit, Ryou, what is _wrong_ with you?! Why won't you answer me?!"  
  
The boy faltered, falling still and silent.  
  
The truth. Was that it? He had been damned, hadn't he. . . . that was why the demon never was banished from his side, why the demon was granted power over him with the knowledge of his name.  
  
"Salvation. . ." the near-silent words fell from his frozen lips. He had failed. There was no mercy left for him.  
  
But maybe he wouldn't give up hope. Once upon a time the demon's presence hadn't been there. . . .  
  
/Up. . . . down . . . across. . . . over. . . /  
  
((+)~  
  
Well, please review! What do you think? Any potential to continue? Yes, no, maybe so, never write anything like this again you psycho because I won't be able to sleep for weeks? 


	2. Guardian Tenshi

Cross  
  
This will probably be the last chapter, unless I have some amazing inspiration or whatnot  
  
Did anybody know what the "up, down, across, over" line was about? Just curious. . . .  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh, nor do I own the Guardian Angel prayer  
  
Japanese:  
  
Ohayo- hello  
  
Kun- an honorific, a suffix for a boy you're familiar with  
  
Ano- uh  
  
Chan- an honorific, a suffix for a girl you're familiar with  
  
Iie- no  
  
Gomen nassai- I'm sorry  
  
Doushite- why  
  
Sensei- teacher  
  
Hikari- light  
  
Chiisai- little  
  
((+)~  
  
"Ohayo, Bakura-kun!"  
  
One of the boy's hands fidgeted with the hem of the long blue sleeve on his school uniform as he listened to them greet him. Silently he waved, giving them a small smile. That was about all he ever did with those people who continued to acknowledge his presence every day. He wasn't very social, and didn't associate with them much other than the times he screwed around with their minds.  
  
But they didn't need to know about that, now did they?  
  
Mazaki Anzu was tapping her fingers on the desk, trying to regain the attention of his wandering mind. He wondered if she'd asked him a question, and how he should answer so he didn't sound stupid.  
  
"Ano . . . Anzu-chan?"  
  
"I asked if you wanted to come over to my house after school. Yugi-kun, Honda-kun, Jou-kun, and Miho-chan [1] are coming."  
  
Bakura shook his head. "Iie, gomen nassai, but I'm busy."  
  
"Doushite?" Anzu pouted. She leaned closer, whispering confidentially, "It's not about that evil spirit, is it?"  
  
"No, he's been very quiet lately." And will stay that way, he thought. He wasn't really in a vindictive mood, or likely to be anytime soon.  
  
"I'm sure Miho-chan would love it if you came," Anzu tried again.  
  
Bakura just shook his head. He didn't have the time nor the dedication to pursue the girl's crush right now. Besides, it would mess up his well-laid plans. She didn't need to have the whole "schizophrenic" idea explained to her, along with convictions she would get about him and his hikari being crazy. Better to just keep life simple. . . .  
  
Anzu sighed. She'd run out of reasons to make Bakura come. "Fine, but I'll force you another time!"  
  
Bakura chuckled softly. "You do that, Anzu-chan."  
  
"I will!" she shot back playfully before going back to her seat as the bell rang for the start of class.  
  
Bakura got out his book, absently flipping to the page number that sensei was calling out from the front of the classroom. His other was quiet today, too quiet, he thought. It had been a while since he'd been able to concentrate fully for lack of the boy's voice in his head. Prayers, the little one had called them. Those prayer things could be awfully scary sometimes. It was a wonder they didn't drive people insane.  
  
He laughed softly at that thought. Perhaps they already had.  
  
Bakura's chocolate brown eyes wandered over the math problems. 'I sincerely doubt there's ever going to be a time he'll need to know this.' But he started working them out on his paper anyway, because if he didn't do it, no one would.  
  
/Angel of God, my guardian dear,/  
  
Bakura smiled to himself as he listened. He liked this one, for some reason. It made him think of lots of things, nice things. He almost enjoyed it when Bakura would recite this prayer all day.  
  
He touched the Ring where it hung under his shirt as he anticipated the next line.  
  
/To whom God's love commits me here.  
  
/Ever this day be at my side,/  
  
Bakura tuned the boy out and went back to his math then. After all, if he didn't do it, then his hikari never could . . . .  
  
((+)~  
  
Bakura stood at the door nervously, teetering on the decision of knocking. He could always run away now, but . . . . he shook his head. This life wasn't rightly his, as he'd preserve and protect it until the other could reclaim it again.  
  
/To light. . . ./  
  
His fist knocked on the wood of the door, and was soon rewarded with an answer.  
  
"Anzu-chan! My plans were canceled, so I was left free. I hope you don't mind that I came?"  
  
"Not at all!" the brunette grinned, her blue eyes sparkling as she prided herself on successfully guilting the white-haired boy into doing something social.  
  
Bakura stepped into the entrance, leaving his shoes with the several other pairs resting in the entryway.  
  
/To guard . . . ./  
  
For a moment, he relinquished control back to the child, allowing his senses to realize there were other people there.  
  
//Remember, hikari-chiisai. . . .//  
  
The boy's chanting fell silent for a moment, his interest aroused. He remembered. . . . and what he must still do . . .  
  
The chanting began again in solemn cadence, and Bakura sighed. It had been worth a try.  
  
He stepped into the room, where Yugi jumped up to greet him, though Honda and Jou were obliviously flicking pieces of paper and small wrappers at each other.  
  
"Bakura-kun! I thought Anzu-chan said you couldn't come?"  
  
Bakura smiled at the shorter boy. "A change of plans, Yugi-kun." A change of heart, he thought, inwardly snickering at the terrible pun.  
  
/To rule . . . ./  
  
"Maybe we should help Anzu-chan, ne?" Bakura's brown eyes wandered over to where the girl stood berating Jou and Honda.  
  
"Right!" Yugi giggled. "We wouldn't want her to have to hurt them too badly."  
  
"We'll pick it up, Anzu, I promise!" Jou was wailing, dodging the blue-eyed girl's swipes at him.  
  
Honda snickered, unwisely drawing her attention to himself. Finding the wrath directed at him now, he leaped up, with Anzu giving chase. Jou just shook his head, grinning.  
  
"See what I do for my buddy? Now he's got girls chasing after him."  
  
Yugi giggled. "I bet he's fixed your love life the same way, ne?"  
  
Jou winked, throwing a friendly arm around Bakura. "I can do the same for you later."  
  
The silver-haired boy blushed and shook his head. "No thank you, Jou-kun, I prefer the old fashioned methods better."  
  
/To guide. . . ./  
  
A knock sounded at the door, and Bakura slid Jou's arm off his shoulder to go answer it, seeing as Anzu was currently occupied.  
  
"Ohayo, minna-san!" Miho chirped, customary yellow ribbon tied in her lilac hair. Her smile grew brighter as she realized who it was holding the door open for her. "Bakura-kun!"  
  
Bakura smiled softly, neither accepting nor declining her affections, as he always did. Someday, perhaps, his other half would be able to make that decision, unless Honda made it for him first, claiming his precious Ribbon- chan. But for now. . . .  
  
"Ohayo, Miho-chan," Anzu waved cheerfully as she reentered the room. "Honda agreed to stop being immature." She smugly led said brunette into the room, a bright red handprint imprinted on his cheek.  
  
"Ouch, that's got to hurt," Jou laughed playfully.  
  
Miho was also giggling. "Silly Honda-kun."  
  
Bakura stood by, feeling Ryou's conscious slowly returning, wanting to watch his friends. Whatever his prayers had been for, he obviously felt satisfied with them now. Bakura relinquished full control to the boy's soul, feeling as if he'd done his part as guardian.  
  
/Amen./  
  
((+)~  
  
[1] Yes, Miho is a real character. She doesn't really do much other than be there. . . I know that Honda likes her, and calls her "Ribbon-chan" because she always wears a yellow ribbon in her hair. She likes Bakura, but Bakura's too nice to tell her he doesn't like her back. Also, she was praising Seto for some reason or another at one time, and Honda wasn't too happy about that ^^ And no, I didn't put her in for any real reason, but I guess she needed a place in fanfiction, ne?  
  
So. . . . Review please? ^^ 


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